


forever and ever and ever

by surexit



Category: Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
Genre: Forced Marriage, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-13
Updated: 2013-04-13
Packaged: 2017-12-08 09:21:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/759741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/surexit/pseuds/surexit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At some point, they have to discuss marriage.</p>
            </blockquote>





	forever and ever and ever

“Aye, it’s clear it mun be the two o’ you,” Dickon said, and his round red face gazed at them calmly, the wide mouth smiling. He was sitting on the hearth rug, a greying fox curled beside him. There was an aging crow, eyes bright, perched on his shoulder.

“Dickon,” Mary said, and then stopped. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to say, only that this felt _wrong_. She wished Dickon looked upset, because then they could soothe him and feel as though they had done something worth doing. They only rarely got the chance to soothe Dickon.

Colin shifted. He was sitting on the sofa next to Mary, fidgeting with his shirt cuffs. “It doesn’t feel right,” he said quietly. “We’re three, not two and one.”

“That’ll never be true from th’ outside,” Dickon said. “Aye, an’ tha knows it, Colin Craven.”

Colin looked stubborn. He’d found a loose thread on his jacket now, and was tugging at it. Mary reached over and poked the back of his hand to stop him, which earned her a glare but made him stop. “Aye, an’ tha knows us loves thee,” he said, reaching out a hand towards Dickon, who smiled wider and put his own out to meet it. Their fingers twined, and Dickon shuffled closer, careful not to disturb Soot or Captain, to kiss Colin’s palm with unselfconscious affection.

“Aye,” he said. “But two of us mun marry, and it mun be th’ pair o’ you.”

Mary scowled, and reached out a foot to poke Dickon in the side. He caught it, broad palm wrapping gentle and warm round her ankle, and smiled sideways at her. “You needn’t be so reasonable, Dickon Sowerby,” she said sourly. “We just don’t want to leave you out.”

“Tha couldn’t ever,” Dickon said, thumb stroking over the soft stocking she was wearing. “I trust both o’ you, down to the bone. Otherwise this‘d never work, tha alone up in this big house with that one,” he nodded his head towards Colin, and then turned to him, “and _tha_ all alone with _that_ one,” nodding his head towards Mary. 

Colin was biting his lip to hold back a smile, but he jerked on Dickon’s hand and then rearranged his features into a scowl. “Of course you trust us, you’re only a common Yorkshire lad. You wouldn’t _dare_ not to trust us.”

“Aye,” Dickon said agreeably, big blue eyes twinkling. Mary twitched her foot in his grasp, testing his grip rather than trying to escape, and he hummed softly, his thumb stroking again. “So there’ll be a big grand wedding, an’ I’ll stand by the door in my best clothes an’ be grinnin’ fit to burst.”

Mary slid slowly off the sofa onto the floor, landing with a gentle thump and her skirts in disarray, and reached out to draw Dickon close. Colin followed suit, leaning his shoulder against Mary’s, and Dickon took his time in kissing them both. “And now tha should kiss thy future bride, Mester Colin,” he said gently to Colin, and Mary smiled at Colin and kissed him, warm and soft. They each had a hand on Dickon, Mary on his forearm and Colin on his knee, and he had a hand on both of them.


End file.
